Oven Fried Panko Chicken

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine

For those of us who will not deep fry for love or money, this is a terrific alternative. It is still not crazy healthy because you are, after all, still eating the calorie laden skin. But, if you really care, you can always eat a little bit of this crusty yummy skin and toss the rest. The chicken itself will be very moist. You can serve it with rice or potatoes and a salad.

2 c Panko (available at Ralphs OR Trader Joes)
1/2 t cayenne
1 stick butter, melted in the microwave (you can probably get away with 1/2 a stick)
1 chicken, cut up (I'm lazy, I bought it already cut up from TJs)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees with the rack in the middle

Stir together the panko, cayenne, 1/2 t salt, 1/4 t pepper in a shallow wide bowl.

Stir together the butter, 1/2 t salt, 1/4 t pepper in a small bowl and brush all over the chicken pieces. Press each piece into the panko mixture on both sides and place on a foil covered baking sheet.

Cook for 40 min or so, then let sit 10 min to crisp up.

Chicken Salad #2

This fantastic salad is from Nancy Silverton's "Twist of the Wrist" book. Amazing book and great recipe. Chicken Salad #1 is good also, but requires bacon, which I just don't do too often. But this entree salad is terrific for a hot day (like today!)


1 1/2 lb roasted chicken meat, shredded**
1 c. chipotle mayo (recipe below)
10 c watercress and or arugula
sea salt (can use kosher if you don't have sea salt)
1 avocado, chopped
olive oil
lime

Place the chicken in a large bowl. Add 3/4 c of the chipotle mayo (you can do less...I usually do 1/2 cup) and toss to coat.

Divide the greens evenly among 4 plates and sprinkle with sea salt. Mound some chicken onto the greens and then top with 1/4 avocado. Drizzle oil and squeeze a few drops of lime juice on top of the avocado. Sprinkle with more sea salt and pepper to taste.

Chipotle Mayo:

1 cup mayo
1/4 c finely chopped cilantro leaves
2 T olive oil
2 T lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 t pureed chipotle peppers (buy can of chipotle peppers from supermarket, like Ralphs in Latino section, dump contents of can in food processor and blitz. Put in tupperware container in fridge where it will stay good for a long long long time...even years if you put a thin layer of oil on top.)
1 t kosher salt

Blend together in a bowl. You can save the rest in the fridge for sandwiches and more salad throughout the week.

**for those of you who don't have a roasted chicken around, you can take two bone in and skin on breasts (I suggest kosher), put them on a cookie sheet lined with foil and spread olive oil on top. Salt and pepper them and put them in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 40 min. Best roast chicken ever. Sometimes, I just eat these for dinner with a veg.

Soba with Chicken and Peanut Sauce

From Gourmet Mag

yield: Makes 4 servings
active time: 10 min
total time: 25 min

"It's no surprise that American cooks have adopted Asian peanut sauce as their own. The tantalizing balance of creaminess and heat has universal appeal." 3/4 of my family loved this easy dish (the 3 who can stand a little heat.)

Ingredients

* 1 pound chicken cutlets or tenders
* 1 pound soba noodles
* 1/2 seedless cucumber (usually plastic-wrapped)
* 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter (not natural)
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
* 2 teaspoons Chinese chile garlic paste (preferably Lan Chi) or Sriracha (Southeast Asian chile sauce) plus additional for serving
* 1/4 cup chopped scallions

Preparation

Cut chicken into 1/2-inch-wide strips, then cook in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water , stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer chicken with a slotted spoon to a bowl (drain any excess liquid), reserving water in pot.

Return water to a boil, then cook noodles, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 4 to 8 minutes. Reserve 3/4 cup noodle-cooking water and drain noodles in a colander. Rinse noodles under cold water to stop cooking, then drain well.

While noodles cook, cut cucumber lengthwise into julienne strips. Pat dry.

Whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, chile paste, and reserved cooking water until smooth. I used an immersion blender because I am lazy.

Divide noodles among large serving bowls. Spoon about 1/4 cup peanut sauce over noodles in each bowl, then divide chicken, cucumber, and scallions among bowls. Serve immediately with remaining sauce and additional chile paste. Stir noodles just before eating.